Interview
ANNA PEAKE annapeakeart.com
For better or for worse, the environment we grow up in shapes us for life. It could be the little village where our grandparents live or the steamy, bustling city where we went to further our job prospects. They all mould us in long-lasting ways, becoming a part of our very fibre. Artist Anna Peake creates art with the layers of our lives, literally! Her topographical creations are often re-creations of actual places. Immortalising them in metal, she uses techniques such as lost wax casting with contemporary laser cutting to create her pieces. Having visited Wales on numerous occasions ourselves, there’s no denying its natural beauty. Was this is a crucial element of your artistic inspiration? Absolutely. I grew up in Wales spoilt by the beautiful surroundings; however, I don’t think it was until I moved out of the country for my degree that I truly appreciated it and began to miss it. The rain, the mountains, the valleys, the green, the coast, I was spoilt with many beautiful spaces and places. Initially, it was its sudden absence that caused the Welsh landscape to become my primary source of artistic inspiration. I moved from Wales to Surrey in order to study Glass, Ceramics, Jewellery and Metalwork at the University of Creative Arts in Farnham. It was a significant change. I missed vivid colours and intense textures of the varied landscapes that Wales has within a short distance of each other. From
the heights of the Brecon Beacons to the Valleys where I grew up and then the beautiful west coast covered in stunning beaches. All these breathtaking places are with a few hours drive of each other. Wales is definitely worth a visit! When did you first start experimenting with topography shapes? The use of maps started back in the first year of my degree in 2015. We undertook small projects in which we were encouraged to experiment as much as possible with ideas, materials and techniques. During one of the projects, I experimented with maps. I researched everything about them, discovering topography – the simplification of a map down to the necessities. It sparked an interest in exploring topographical maps and aerial images of different areas, and to me this was fascinating. 48
